Lend Me Your Hand and We'll Conquer Them All
by XxBamxX
Summary: When they learn that Darcy has the same birthday as Steve, a surprise party ends up having an unexpected reaction, both good and bad.


**I had a random idea to have Steve and Darcy have something in common and 8,572 words later I ended up with whatever this is haha. I had Darcy have the same Birthday as Steve since both Chris Evans and Kat Dennings share the same birthday in real life. I made them technically 5 years apart as well. Anyway! I wrote half of this on my phone and each time I edited it, I was about to pass out from exhaustion. I'm pretty sure I caught and fixed all the mistakes but if not I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

After nearly an hour of beating up on numerous punching bags, Steve made his way up and into the kitchen for water and something to scarf down after his stomach had growled for the hundredth time. As he approached the kitchen area he heard people talking. He hadn't been in much of a sociable mood the past few days considering the events of the upcoming weekend, but he continued. Hoping to get in and get out.

He walked over to the counter to retrieve a glass and as he walked over to the sink to fill it, he then noticed how incredibly quiet the room was as opposed to just a few seconds ago. Steve turned slowly toward the island where Tony, Pepper, Natasha, and Bruce were sitting. None of them were looking at him, instead, fiddling with random items on the counter in front of them.

Or in Tony's case, watching the others reactions with a smirk on his face at their sad attempt to be casual as he rhythmically tapped a pen against the countertop.

"Alright," Steve said placing the glass on the counter an crossing his arms. "What's going on?" He asked. Nat shrugged as Bruce shook his head before pretending to be preoccupied with the newspaper in front of him. Pepper attempted to respond, and under any other circumstance she would have been prepared to come up with an excuse, but Steve's sudden appearance had her thrown off guard. Tony laughed at them, immediately covering it with a cough when Pepper and Nat glared at him.

"Oh, come on. You're not getting it passed him now. Might as well fill the Captain here in on your wonderful plan." Tony said smugly. Steve looked between them as they looked around at each other.

"Okay! Okay, fine." Pepper threw her hands up in frustration. "We were _trying_ to plan a party for yo-"

"No. Absolutely not." Steve interrupted knowing exactly where this was going and had no problem shutting that idea down immediately. July 4th was approaching, only a couple days away, and it happened to be his birthday as well. It was a well known fact among the group, especially since Tony had made every joke he could think of when he found out that little detail of Steve Rogers life. Steve was honestly surprised he hadn't known that earlier.

"Ha! I told you it was a terrible idea." Tony shouted triumphantly to the others. "Could you imagine if we managed to keep it from him the whole time?" Tony paused, "Aw man, now I'm kind of bummed. I could see it in the headlines now; Captain American't Loses His Shit On Independence Day." Pepper kicked him in the leg as Natasha sent an elbow into his abdomen. He hissed and jabbed Nat in the arm with the pen he had been holding.

"Why couldn't you just have waited, like, five more minutes before coming in here!" Pepper said exasperatedly, yet rhetorically.

"Well, I'm glad I did." She looked briefly offended before he continued, "I appreciate the sentiment, really, but I'm not into the whole birthday thing. At all."

"Well, Stars and Stripes, there will still be a party, which you will be attending." Tony said, Steve started to protest before Bruce started to speak.

"It's still 4th of July, Steve. Apparently, Tony has a party every year and will have one no matter what."

"A party I won't be attending." Steve said as he picked up his forgotten glass, taking a sip before moving over to the fruit bowl and grabbing an apple, figuring he'd wait to have a full meal when he was done with this debacle.

"Yes, you will." Natasha told him.

"Excuse me?" Pepper sighed at him, hoping her next words would help the situation along.

"It's Darcy's birthday too. The party is a surprise for her, as well. Well, not 'as well' anymore." She gave him a pointed look.

"Darcy? How do you even know that?" He asked as he bit into the apple. He knew the question seemed a bit ridiculous, but he didn't think anyone knew Darcy Lewis' birthday. She never spoke of it, much less of her past.

"Natasha told us." Pepper answered and Steve raised a brow.

"And how does Natasha know that?"

"I have my ways." She answered confidently.

"Of course you do." Steve said flippantly.

"Okay, Okay!" Pepper said. "Look, the party is happening whether we like it or not," She sent a look at Tony who shrugged, "We might as well make the best of it. We won't mention it being your birthday too." Steve looked at her doubtfully. "We won't! I promise. But at least help us plan this for Darcy?" Steve sighed.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure, why not." He felt bad for his behavior when Pepper beamed with a smile. She got up and hugged him.

"Hey!" Tony protested and Bruce and Nat hit him on either arm. "Why are you all abusing me?!" He cried.

Pepper returned back to her seat and Steve joined them, sitting next to Bruce, as they filled him in on the plan, well, _new plan_. Tony's usual partygoers were going to be in attendance as well as the rest of the Avengers and Jane. They were inviting some of Darcy's friends from the lab as well. As Darcy was unaware that they had figured out it was her birthday as well, they planned to tell her it was a surprise party for Steve in addition to being Tony's annual Fourth of July party. It would be her job to get him there. He wondered how she would work that one out.

For the next two days, he became more at ease as the 4th grew closer. No one mentioned anything of his relation to the day and he was excited to make Darcy's birthday something special for her. He didn't know her as much as he would like because she was usually always assisting Jane in her lab. When he did cross paths with her, however, it always left a smile on his face. Not only was she gorgeous, but she wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind either. He hadn't known anyone like her besides Peggy. And with that thought, he was in a fowl mood once more.

Since his parents died while he was still really young, his birthday was never something that he had had the chance to celebrate. Though after he met Bucky, his friend made sure he was never alone on that day every year. After he woke up from him nearly seventy-year nap, he had no one left. What was there to even celebrate?

At about two o'clock, he made sure to dress casually enough not to throw Darcy off but enough to be dressed up for a party. He ended up in a pair of jeans and a black buttoned down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He sat in his suite waiting for Darcy's arrival to bring him to _his_ surprise party trying not to bring himself down again.

Not long after there was a knock at his door. He walked over to open it and began his charade of not knowing what was going on.

"Hi, Steve!" Darcy said and Steve held in a breath at the sight of her. She was dressed in a dark-reddish dress where its thick strap went around the back of her neck. It fit her curves but fanned out slightly toward the bottom stopping a few inches short of her knees. She had on black heels and her hair was down, loose curls falling over her shoulders. She looked stunning and he almost forgot why she was even there until he snapped out of his daze.

"Darcy, hey. What's up?" He tried casually wondering what excuse she had come up with to get him to go.

"So, I was supposed to go to Tony's party with Jane but Thor is in town so she's been with him and they're going together and I don't really feel like going on the other side of Manhattan all by myself. So, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving this lonely girl a ride? That is, if you're going. You are going right?" She gave him a questioning smile and he couldn't help but laugh in return. As far as excuses go, she definitely needed some practice. If this surprise really was for him, he'd certainly be questioning it.

"Well, I don't know. I wasn't really planning on it. Parties aren't really my thing." He decided to mess with her a bit. His intention wasn't to be cruel, but he figured he'd have a little fun. It wasn't a total lie though- he really wasn't a big fan of parties. He was only going along with it for Darcy.

He felt a little bad as he watched her face fall a bit. Her eyes widened slightly as she wracked her brain for a way to convince him.

"What? Come on, Rogers! You've gotta come! It's going to be fun, plus Tony would never let you live it down if you didn't come admire his money at work." She shifted a bit, "Please?" She teasingly begged in hopes of getting him to say yes.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face yet again and he sighed in mock frustration, "Yeah. Yeah, okay why not."

"Yay! I mean- Thank you! Shall we go?" He nodded, locking up his suite and following her out. They took his bike. He hadn't even realized whether or not she might have a problem with it until they got to it. Turns out she was more than excited, never having been on one before.

They drove towards their destination on the outskirts of town. Tony rented out the top floors of a building equipped with a huge roof which had a pool with a disappearing edge, an open bar and DJ, and of course, as many fireworks as he could get.

They were set to get there at two-thirty and they made it with ten minutes to spare. Steve parked his bike in the garage letting Darcy climb off before he got off the bike himself removing his helmet and grabbing hers to hook onto the bike. He took out his phone, sending a quick text to Nat letting her know of their arrival.

"Come on, come on!" She said pulling at his arm as he placed his phone back in his pocket.

"What are you in such a rush for?" He asked and she stilled before recovering.

"I'm not in a rush." She said casually as she sent Pepper a text as well. "There's an open bar that I plan on taking full advantage of. You know you can't miss out on free booze! And food! _God_, I'm starving. Let's go." She practically skipped towards the elevators with him in tow.

They arrived at the top floor with a ding as the doors opened and they exited, heading down the hallway. Steve noticed she kept giving him sideways glances, a smile on her face in anticipation. It was clear she didn't expect the surprise was for her in the slightest. If she was this happy thinking the party was for him, he could only imagine the excitement she'd have upon discovering it was for her.

After making their way through the halls, they arrived at their destination, pushing open the doors. A chorus of _"Surprise!"_ filled the room and Darcy looked to Steve for his reaction who smiled at her and nodded his head towards the banner stretched across the room in vibrant letters; "Happy Birthday, Darcy!"

The last thing he expected was for the way her smile instantly disappeared. He could feel the tension radiating off of her as she swallowed heavily. Looking closer he noticed her once joyful eyes were now swimming in unshed tears projecting emotion that couldn't be any further than happiness. When the cheerful yells of everyone died down, the silence from Darcy's end caused an air of awkwardness.

"Darcy?" Jane questioned from her spot at Thor's side where she held Darcy's favorite type of chocolate cake in her hands. Flickering candles surrounded the same message as the banner.

No one was prepared when Darcy turned around and darted from the room. The slamming of the door behind her reverberating through the room. Pepper and Jane gasped in surprise as Jane placed the cake down on the table in confusion.

"Have you done something to upset Lady Darcy?" Thor glared at Steve.

"What? No! Of course not." He answered vehemently.

"Alright, everyone!" Tony shouted to the rest of the partygoers, "The party's still on! Free alcohol outside, let's go!" He yelled to keep the party going and get them to forget what had just happened. They cheered and went back to the party they were experiencing before they had gotten into position for the surprise.

"What the hell was that?" Clint asked as the group plus Pepper and Jane came over to Steve.

"Was everything okay on the way over?" Pepper asked concerned.

"Yeah, she was fine. I don't think she could have been more happier." He answered, his brow quirked in confusion as well as concern. He couldn't get the look of pure sadness out of his head. They way her lips fell into a frown played in his head on repeat.

"Looks like there was a reason none of us knew when her birthday was. Good work, Romanoff." Tony said and Natasha went to punch him again but he blocked it, giving her an arrogant smirk in return.

Jane had her phone to her ear, sighing in frustration as she brought it down and hitting redial. "She's turned her phone off. I've got to go look for her."

"Do you know where she'd have gone?" Bruce asked.

"I think I might have an idea." Steve said.

* * *

After running out of the room and out of the building, Darcy had hailed a cab, heading off towards one of her favorite parks that overlooked the Hudson River. She didn't get a chance to go there often but when she needed to relax, coming to that park and staring out over the water always helped her. Especially during sunset when the sky would turn beautiful shades of pink and purple, or orange and red.

The park was pretty deserted for a Saturday but it was the Fourth of July so she assumed everyone was celebrating. She was sitting on a bench, more secluded than the rest, surrounded by trees with pink flowers and crisp green leaves. The longer she sat there, though, the more embarrassed she felt. She balanced out the embarrassment with a feeling of betrayal and anger. Irrational, at best, but she hadn't liked to talk about her past. Not even to Jane, and she had no idea how they figured out today was her birthday. Then again, being who they all were, it was probably not that hard to figure out. Which brings in the betrayal.

She was sure they had good intentions, but at the same time she thought it wouldn't have mattered. She was just the assistant to Thor's girlfriend. A third-party-nobody. Sure, she lived in the tower with them, but that was more so she was fully available for Jane.

When Pepper had approached her a few days ago about a surprise party for Steve, she was thrilled. Not only would it take her mind off her own birthday, but with how broody Steve could get, she wanted nothing more than to see a smile on his face. The irony wasn't lost on her. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't changed outfits five times before heading over to get Steve. She'd also be lying if she said she didn't have a bit of a crush on the man. But how could you not? Not only did he have the body of a god- which was pretty true considering how close he came to Thor's physique- but he had the most amazing smile as well. And while he could be snarky and brooding one moment, he was sweet and caring the next.

Occasionally, she would hear Nat trying to set Steve up with people and she'd admit- if a gun was held to her head- that she was slightly jealous. She had no problem making the first move on men. She was successful most times, but she was certainly no stranger to rejection. And she just wasn't sure she'd be able to handle being rejected by Captain America of all people.

After she finally had finally chosen a maroon colored halter-top sundress and black heels, she spent nearly half an hour trying to perfect loose curls. When she was satisfied with her end result she headed towards Steve's suite.

She hoped she wasn't too obvious when she almost went weak in the knees at the sight of Steve in jeans and a black buttoned shirt. She wasn't sure what it was, but she thought guys looked so much better in black shirts. The fact that the sleeves were rolled up exposing his muscled forearms didn't help either.

"Hey, Steve!" She said forcing a smile that easily became natural, hoping he didn't notice her swooning over him.

Wrapping her arms around his waist as they rode on his motorcycle would be something she would never forget. She had been excited to see Steve's reaction at the surprise, hoping to give him a good memory or maybe think back to good memories from his past. She wasn't sure, however, as he didn't talk much of his past. She couldn't blame him though, because she did the same thing.

It took her a moment, upon entering the room, to notice instead of saying "Happy Birthday, Steve" that the banner and cake had her name instead.

She was confused at first, having successfully forgotten that it was her birthday in addition to Steve's. Then she was confused as to how they knew. But the confusion was quickly replaced as she felt like someone had her heart in a vice grip and tears started to hinder her vision. She didn't even think as she turned and escaped the confines of the room. She ran through the halls and out of the building as fast as she could in her heels before hailing the first available cab.

Now she was here, makeup surely ruined from the tears she failed to hold back in the beginning. She had since managed to keep them at bay, but she didn't know for how much longer before they made a reappearance. She was only vaguely aware of the footsteps against the gravel until she heard them come to a stop in front of her. She sighed, not wanting to face any of her friends right now. But when she started to feel uncomfortable she looked up to see why.

"Hey, there pretty lady. You look lonely. Want some company?" He looked a few years younger than herself. Dark shaggy hair and a sad excuse for a beard. He was wearing red basketball shorts and a wife beater and she almost laughed in his face but the way he was leering made her snuff what would have been her usual 'Fuck off.'

"I'm, uh, I'm actually waiting for my boyfriend so if you could-"

"Oh so that's why you're so dressed up, huh? I was wondering what such a sexy thing like yourself was doing out here." He smiled sitting down next to her, or more like practically on top of her. She moved over.

"Listen buddy, I'd really like to be alone right now. So if you don't mind..."

"Oh, come on, babe..." He put his hand on her thigh and she jumped up.

"What the fuck, man?" She exclaimed.

"Oh don't be like that." He rose, and while he was only a couple inches taller than her in her heels, the creepy-factor made it seem like he was towering over her.

"I think I _will_ be like that, actually." She said as she turned to leave. She really wished she had her taser on her but she hadn't brought anything with her, not thinking she'd be needing anything.

She stumbled as her arm was jerked back, the guy's hand now in a vice grip around her bicep.

"Get your hands off of me!" She yelled, trying to pull away.

"You wear a dress like that and you're trying to tell me you wouldn't want a little fun?"

"Not from some lowlife like you, you scumbag." She would have done an inner victory dance had it not been for the look of rage that crossed the man's features.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me." _Damn,_ she really needed to shut up. His grip tightened before he grabbed her other arm.

"Let go of me! Stop!" She yelled more angry than scared, as he started to bring her in closer towards him. She lost her balance landing on the ground as her arms were forcefully pulled forward as she watched the guy stumble backwards. Though she was thankful, she was also confused until she noticed the man was in a chokehold. She looked up and past the man's shoulder to see Steve.

The guy gasped in pain as Steve torqued his arm behind his back.

"She told you to let go." The anger in Steve's tone almost made her feel bad for the guy. Almost.

"Yeah, well, she's a bitch anywa-" The guy cut off with a scream as Steve twisted his arm even more.

"You're going to turn around and leave. And if I ever see you again I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?" The guy's cocky attitude was quickly replaced with that of fear. He nodded as best as he could and once Steve released him he took off. Darcy didn't even bother to look, just listened as his footsteps faded out in in the distance.

"Darcy? Are you okay?" Steve asked concerned as he crouched down in front of her. She hesitated before answering with a "Yeah, thank you." But when she looked up he was glaring at her arms, his jaw tense. She followed his gaze to find her arms with rings of bruises on either one.

"It's fine, Steve."

"What about any of _that_ did you think was 'fine'?" He said exasperated as he stood, holding his hand out to help her up off the ground. She took it, wiping the small pieces of gravel off her legs when she was standing.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" She asked. The reason for being here hit her full force and she couldn't find it in herself to meet his gaze.

"You've talked about this park before. You've always seemed so happy when you'd mention it. When people are upset they usually end up somewhere that makes them happy." He said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. She sighed as she sat back down on the bench. He sat down next to her and when she didn't make a move to acknowledge it he leaned forward trying to catch her eyes.

"Darcy. Hey, look at me." She hesitantly looked up at him trying to school her features. "What's bothering you?" She shrugged not wanting to do this but not having it in her to say that either. "Does it have to do with your birthday?" At his question she cringed, immediately looking away. When she didn't say anything, Steve ran a hand through his hair before leaving his elbows on his knees looking out towards the river.

"I'm not a fan of my birthday either." He started, hoping that if he opened up to her, she would do the same. "My parents died when I was still really young. I ended up in an orphanage and they weren't too big on celebrating there. It wasn't until I met my friend, Bucky, that I even knew what it was like to celebrate a birthday. Bucky made sure we always did something, anything, and that I wasn't alone. Fast forward about seventy years and I wake up and pretty much everyone I knew then was dead. The only one left was already losing her memory. What's there to celebrate now?" He leaned back against the bench and by now Darcy was looking at him. He hadn't noticed but at some point she'd grabbed his hand. "_God_," he let out a humorless laugh, "I don't even know how old I am. Twenty-eight? Ninety-six?"

"You're both." Darcy said.

"Yeah?" He replied, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, you're twenty-eight but when I want to make old-man jokes, you're ninety-six." He laughed for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

"Is that so?" He asked with a smirk on his lips. She was about to respond when a loud _crack_ and _bang_ went off. Darcy jumped, any trace of a smile was now gone. Steve straightened as he watched her skin take on a shade unnervingly similar to the color of paper.

"Darcy." He tried getting her attention but she made no indication of having heard him. It wasn't until the sound of more fireworks sounded that she snapped out of her frightful daze. Unfortunately, her reaction only seemed to get worse. She shrieked, her eyes filling with tears as she started to shake. Steve was kneeling down in front of her grabbing her hands in his before he could even take a full breath.

"Darcy? Darcy!" He panicked as her breathing picked up knowing she would hyperventilate if she didn't calm down. He cupped a hand against the side of her face, his thumb absently wiping away tears as they continued to fall. "Darcy, you have to breathe, okay? It's just fireworks. You're okay." He tried reassuring her, gripping her hand that he still had a hold on. After the longest minute of his life, her breaths slowed coming out in stuttering gasps as she started to calm down. She blinked away tears, before she met Steve concerned gaze.

"_Oh god_." She choked out, mortified having realized what had happened. Steve wasn't a stranger to PTSD. So he knew the signs of someone closing off as a result. He sat back down next to Darcy, his knees brushing against hers as he gently grabbed her shoulders forcing her to look at him.

"No, no, no. Don't do that. Come on, Darce."

"I'm sorry." She whispered. The pain in her voice put an ache in his heart.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." The confidence in his voice was almost enough to make her believe it.

"Now, you can tell me what's going on, or I can try to figure it out myself." He wasn't saying it to be mean but he knew she needed to get whatever it was off her chest. They sat in silence as Darcy tried to get her bearings. He didn't press as he knew she was working her way towards telling him what was wrong. A family rode by on their bicycles after a while. A couple and their two daughters. Steve smiled at the girls as they rode by and Darcy couldn't help but smile as they giggled.

Another round of fireworks started to go off and Darcy, her hand still in Steve's, tightened around his.

"Maybe we should get out of here." He suggested.

"No. I just need a minute..." she put her free hand to her head "I'm so sorry. Steve, you should go back to the party. Don't miss out because of me." She pleaded.

"I'm not leaving you alone like this." He insisted. "Besides, the only reason I was even going was for you." If she was surprised at the admission she didn't show it. She spent the next few minutes at war with herself as she tried to explain everything to him. But she just couldn't seem to get the words out. She'd only hoped she wasn't sitting there opening and closing her mouth like a fish as she searched for the words. Finally pushing away her fear enough, she started to speak.

"It was my sixteenth birthday," she started, "My, uh, my parents wanted to do something special for me that year for the whole 'Sweet Sixteen' thing." She looked at Steve to see if he was listening. Of course, he was. "After my aunts barbecue that afternoon, we drove up to these mountains during the sunset which had the perfect view of the fireworks. And my parents, they didn't have a lot of money so I hadn't been expecting much. Which hadn't mattered, because I was with my family and that's all I had wanted for my birthday. We weren't poor and they always tried to give me what they could since I was their only child. So we get to the mountains and they park, like, _so_ out of the way and there's one other car there. And we go, we uh, watch the fireworks and it was the prettiest thing I've ever seen." She said smiling at the memory of the pastel colors coating the sky joined with the array of fireworks. "When we got back to the car afterwards my dad tossed me a set of keys. Turns out that car we parked next to was mine. God, it looked like such a pile of junk" she laughed, "But it was perfect and I loved it."

"Sounds like you guys were really close" Steve said softly.

"Yeah...yeah, we were." She trailed off getting lost in her own memories.

"Darce?"

"Yeah, sorry. Uh, yeah, so on the way home that night by parents needed to stop for gas so we pulled into this little gas station nearby and they both went in to pay and my mom wanted to buy a water. I stayed in my car because it was like this new toy and I wanted to mess around and learn where everything was." Steve held his breath as tears formed in her eyes. A sight he would rather die than see again. "I heard these loud bangs and I just figured it was fireworks, ya know?...but then I heard my mom scream and when the sound happened again I knew they weren't fireworks." Tears were openly streaming down her face and Steve pulled her closer. "They walked right into a robbery. The guy murdered the attendant and both my parents. They guy ran out and I didn't know what to do so I laid down on the seat. I fucking hid and my parents were dead and it's all my fault. I didnt- If they hadn't-" She was practically choking on her sobs.

"Oh god, Darcy, I'm so sorry." Steve said as he pulled her into a hug, her head tucked under his chin as she openly sobbed. "I got my parents killed." she whispered as her sobs died down.

"No," Steve said vehemently, "The bastard who shot them is to blame. Not you, Darcy. You were just a kid. What happened was not your fault. Have you ever talked to anyone about this before?"

"No," She said hesitantly. "My family, like my aunts and uncles and them know, but I never mentioned it. Wouldn't listen when they tried to talk about it. No one I really have in my life now knows either."

"You haven't...Darcy, you kept something like that bottled up for nine years?"

"I'm clearly the poster-child for facing your fears." She tried joking, but it came out stale and bitter and Steve flinched. "Look, I didn't… I'm not good with emotions like that. I cope with what I can and it works for me." She sighed, "Well, until today, I guess."

"Not that I ever would, but I'm not really in any position to judge anyway."

"You're Captain America. Is it even legal for you to judge anybody?" Darcy teased and Steve shot her a mock glare.

"Speaking of Captain America… There's still a party I think we're expected to attend." Darcy looked at him like what he said was the most ridiculous thing ever.

"_Speaking of_?" She questioned.

"America. Fourth of July…" It was Steve's turn to look at her like she said something completely ridiculous.

"Ah, right." She shifted uncomfortably at the idea of going back there after she ran out as she did. "I don't think I really fit the party-look at the moment." She gestured towards her tear streaked face and the makeup she was sure was smudged under her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Steve said as he cupped her face in his hands, running his thumbs under her eyes to rid of the leftover tears and smudges. "You look beautiful." He said, staring into her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but she started to feel self-conscious under his stare. She looked away, his hands dropping from her face as she huffed out a laugh and fiddled with the hem of her dress.

"Well, that asshole sure thought so." She joked. She didn't expect the fiery look in Steve's eyes at her words, however.

"Steve, it was just a joke." She tried reassuring him.

"It's not funny, Darcy. He hurt you." She looked up at him, surprised to see his tone did not match the expression he now donned. While his words screamed anger, his face displayed nothing but concern. Her breath caught in her throat, before she hesitantly pulled away from Steve. He looked hurt and she was quick to rush out her words not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"Maybe we should head back to the party." She suggested, "There's still a bunch of free alcohol I never got my hands on."

"I don't know about that," She tilted her head, confused. "With Stark and Barton there, there might not be anything left." He continued. The corner of his mouth tilting up in a smirk. Darcy laughed, a full-hearty laugh and Steve's smile grew wider.

"Good point, there. We better hurry then." She rose from the bench, "Come on!" She started pulling on his arm to get him to stand up. He gave her an incredulous look at her attempt as he remained seated. "It was worth a shot." She shrugged. He laughed and stood up.

"You sure you're okay to go back there?" The concern from before was now back as he asked her, not wanting her to go into something she still wasn't ready for.

"Yeah, Just… It'll just be a Fourth of July party. Nothing else, right?" She said unsurely hoping it would work out.

"Yeah. Just a Fourth of July party." He repeated leaving no room for her to feel any self-doubt.

"Hopefully, they'll forgive me." She said more to herself than anything as she sighed looking up towards the sky before hanging her head.

"They don't need to forgive you, because there's nothing you need to be forgiven for. They'll understand, Darcy. They're your friends." She remained silent, only nodding to acknowledge his words as she let them sink in.

They started walking down the path towards the outside of the park. Steve had his hands in his pockets, suddenly not trusting himself. He wasn't exaggerating when he told Darcy she was beautiful. And he certainly wouldn't be exaggerating if he said how turned on he was when he opened his door earlier to see Darcy all dressed up. Those feelings of course, were pushed back between the time they arrived at the party up until she had stopped crying. The concern he had for her then was too overwhelming to think of anything else but making sure she was okay.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Darcy's pace faltered, "There's those stupid fireworks again." Steve looked at her taken aback, to which she had noticed, as he stopped walking. "What?" She asked stopping as well.

"Darcy, the fireworks having been going on for like fifteen minutes." He said slowly.

"Oh, That's- I… _Oh._ That's, uh good, right?" She asked hopefully but timidly as well.

"It's something." He gave her a soft smile which she returned. He was about to start walking again when he saw she made no attempt to move forward.

"I, um- I'm sorry you had to witness my spectacular breakdown back there." He went to refute but she didn't let him. "I know, Okay?. _I know_. I still feel bad though, but I can't thank you enough. For everything. I'd still be a train wreck, or worse, if not for you. So, ya know, _thank you._" He pulled his hands from his pockets, and pulled her into a hug which she fully returned.

"I'll always be here for you, Darcy. No matter what, or when." He said as he pulled back slightly, his hands now resting on either side of her shoulders. His gaze penetrating hers to let her know just how much he meant what he was saying.

"Oh, but not 'how' or 'why'?" She feigned offense, laughing when he stared down at her trying to give her a menacing look. It didn't work, because while he managed to keep his mouth in a firm line, his eyes gave him away.

"You're a good man, Steve Rogers." She said softly as she beamed.

"You're an even better woman, Darcy Lewis." He said sincerely, catching her off guard at just how serious he spoke, and she was only vaguely aware of his eyes flickering down to her lips. She sucked in a breath as he leaned down, slowly, as to give her an out, but she didn't want an out when it came to Steve. Not now. Not ever.

As he got closer, she leaned up, thankful for her heels considering their difference in height. The kiss was tentative at first as Steve hoped he wasn't crossing unwanted boundaries, but when Darcy leaned further into him, pressing her lips harder against his, he let go of any reserves. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, and the other around her waist, he pulled her closer. Her feet barely planted on the ground. She gasped as he pressed against him and he used that opportunity to deepen the kiss. Sucking her lip in between his teeth, nipping gently as she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss wasn't fast or rushed, but rather slow and paced. Steve wanted to remember the feeling of her lips against his until the end of time. When the need for air became essential, they pulled away.

"Just…_wow." _Darcy breathed out heavily trying to get her heart rate back to normal. Steve removed his arm from around her waist, bringing it up to her face to brush the hair out of her face that had fallen out of place. He rested his hand there, his fingers resting through her soft brown hair. Leaning down again he pressed another quick kiss to her lips. She frowned at how chaste it was and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Trust me, I would love nothing more than to continue this, but if we don't get back soon, they're going to send a search party out for us. We can finish this later." Steve said linking his hand through hers. She looked down at their hands and couldn't help but notice how _right _it felt. Her grin couldn't have been any larger.

She brought her free hand up behind his neck, pulling him down to whisper in his ear. "I'm holding you to that, Rogers." With that she gently tugged his earlobe between her teeth, laughing when he groaned as she pulled away.

"You're going to be the actual death of me, aren't you?" He unlinked their hands, bringing his arm to wrap around her waist instead.

"Well, I certainly hope not." She said leaning into him as they headed towards Steve's bike to head back to the party.

* * *

When they arrived for the second time, the banner was taken down and mostly everyone was outside celebrating. Everyone that truly mattered to her and Steve, at least, were outside so they headed through the glass doors. The sound of music assaulted their ears as soon as they pushed open the doors.

"Darcy!" Jane exclaimed from her seat at the bar where the other were as well. Go figure. Jane ran over throwing her arms around Darcy in a hug. "We were so worried. Is everything okay?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah, everything's good." She smiled, glad to be able to say it was a genuine one. She spared a glance at Steve who was still by her side. On the way over, they both decided that they would wait a while until they figured out exactly what this meant for them, until revealing it to the others. Jane hugged her once more before heading back towards Thor as he bellowed for her to join him, Clint, and Tony for a shot.

"I'm so sorry, Darcy." Pepper said coming up to her and to Darcy's surprise she looked nervous. Not that Pepper wasn't someone who felt human emotions, but the woman was usually so well composed. It made Darcy's guilt come resurface.

"No, Pepper, you didn't do anything. It was just some things I hadn't dealt with. I do really appreciate the thought though. Thank you. I'm really sorry I ruined it." Darcy apologized sincerely.

"No, no. You didn't ruin anything! I'm so glad you guys came back." She gestured towards the bar, "Come. Join the fun, would you?"

The trio headed towards the bar to join the others as the other guests filled out through both the inside, outside, and pool. She approached cautiously, not sure if she'd be ready for any remarks about her earlier departure. She knew they wouldn't say anything intentionally malicious, but their limits in teasing sometimes blurred between right and wrong. Especially Tony. Luckily, no one made any comments. Instead they forced cups in both Steve and Darcy's hands. Due to the effects of the super-serum, there wasn't nearly enough alcohol in the vicinity to get him even buzzed. That didn't keep Tony and Clint from trying. Darcy just wanted to let a little loose after her mental breakdown earlier. She didn't plan on over doing it though, because she didn't want to risk forgetting any memories of the evening her and Steve shared their first kiss, and hopefully not their last.

Tony and Thor ended up in a way too competitive game of beer pong against Nat and Clint later in the evening, which ended up with the table flipped over due to Tony throwing a child-like temper tantrum. "They're cheating!" He had shouted, pointing an accusatory finger towards the duo.

"Tony, they're assassins. Their aim is always spot-on. How did you even think you could win against them?" Darcy said as she clapped a hand against his back playfully. He paused in his rant, looking between Darcy, and then Clint and Natasha before it registered. "Damn it! Clean this up." He exclaimed gesturing towards the mess he had just made, before stalking off.

Later in the night, Tony ran off to grab the fireworks. Pepper's eyes widened comically huge as Tony brought out a mass amount of fireworks and sparklers.

"Tony." Pepper warned, but he kept walking. Much to her displeasure, Clint followed, more than happy to help blow up things up. Even if they were just fireworks. Pepper sighed as she threw her hands in the air.

"I'll make sure they don't set the place on fire." Bruce offered, "Or themselves." He added as an afterthought. Bruce was probably the only one at the party completely one-hundred-percent sober. He had said he didn't want to risk losing control of the Hulk. No one tried pressuring him after that.

Steve glanced around, observing everyone from his seat on one of the cushioned patio benches. He barely knew anyone here other than those he lived with in the tower, despite them each having their own separate suites. His attention was brought to the pool as laughter broke through the rest of the music and noise. He smirked as Jane and Thor chased each other through the water, occasionally splashing one another much to the dismay of some of the other pool attendees.

His observations were cut short as someone plopped down in the seat next to him. Turning his head, he smiled over at Darcy. "Hey, you." She greeted him.

"Hey, Darce." He grabbed her hand holding them in between them and out of view as much as possible to not cause an onslaught of questions. He lightly rubbed circles against the outside of her hand with his thumb, nodding towards where Stark and Clint we arguing over which fireworks to set off first. "You wanna go somewhere else?"

"Why, Captain, are you coming on to me?" She winked at him, but he held her gaze sternly, worried she was going to bottle her emotions again.

"Darcy." She sighed.

"I don't wanna be afraid anymore, Steve." She admitted quietly.

"You don't have to be, Darcy. I'm right here." He gave her a pointed look and she could tell how much he meant it. She trusted him, which is why she told him she'd be fine watching the fireworks, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake.

After Tony, Clint, and Bruce got things settled- with much needed help from Natasha, mainly too keep Tony and Clint from pushing each other off the roof- the fireworks were on full display. Everyone watched as the bright colors exploded in the sky, sharp colors (mainly red, white, and blue) filled the darkening sky. Half way through, Steve looked to Darcy to make sure she was doing okay. The feeling he felt when he saw the look of pure awe in Darcy's eyes as she was actually able to enjoy the fireworks, was something he'd never felt before. Before he could stop himself, he leaned down to meet her lips once again. She gasped in surprise, quickly returning the kiss. When he reluctantly pulled away her she didn't open her eyes right away. A smile adorned her features as she savored the moment. When she opened her eyes, she was taken aback by the intense look in Steve's eyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder to enjoy the finale of the fireworks. They paled in comparison to the ones she felt when kissing Steve. She'd vomit at the sickening clichéd metaphor later, as she was too busy just enjoying the moment.

When the fireworks were all used up, Nat and Bruce forced Tony and Clint to go sit down before they did any damage. The group soon joined Steve and Darcy on the collection of vacant patio furniture. The two had since separated, sitting on either end of the small bench.

"Pepper!" Tony shouted as Thor and Jane came over to join them. "Pepper, dear!"

Pepper emerged from mingle with the other guests at Tony's calls. "What do you want?" She said exasperatingly but they all knew it was a façade. Any fool knew how much Tony and Pepper cared for each other.

"I'm hungry. Feed me." He whined. Clint who had picked up a bowl of chips from one of the tables on his way over started chucking pieces at Tony at his request.

"Not you, Bird Brain. Knock it off!" He glared towards Clint who sent him a smug look in return. Pepper rolled her eyes at the exchange, but Steve couldn't help but laugh. Quickly covering it with a cough when Pepper looked at him.

"Tony, there's a ton of food that we spent a fortune on. Eat that." She told him.

"I want chocolate. Bring me chocolate."

"Wow, Stark. When did you become such a child?" Darcy teased.

"He's always been like that." Pepper said as she walked over and sat on Tony's lap. "Haven't you, dear?" Instead of answering, Tony's eyes widened, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Pepper, you're a genius!"

"I didn't-" She started confused before he interrupted.

"We've still got that chocolate cake!" He said proudly picking Pepper up and rising from the chair before placing her back down and getting ready to head toward the inside kitchen area where they had stored the cake earlier.

"Tony, wait!" Pepper and Jane exchanged a look before quickly looking at Darcy, trying to look away without her noticing, but they had not succeeded. It was then she remembered the cake that Jane held when her and Steve had arrived earlier in the day.

"It's okay." She said reassuringly and she meant it. "Really." She smiled at them hoping they'd understand she really was okay now. Maybe not completely, but for the time being. For the amount of fun and happiness she was experiencing now, she really believed it would all be okay.

"Perfect! It's okay, Lewis. I'll fix it!" She quirked an eyebrow at him but chose not to question it as he ran inside to retrieve the cake. Almost five minutes later, Tony returned with the cake and she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it. Where it had previously said 'Darcy', Tony had not so neatly wiped off the name, replacing it with a child like scribble that read 'America'. In parenthesis, before 'America', the word 'Captain' was written. Leave it to Tony to mess with Steve when he could, no matter how subtle. Steve glared at him ready to tell him off, joking or not when Tony grabbed the serving knife.

"Let's feast! Anyone want a piece? No? Perfect! All for me!" He rushed out before anyone could even get a word in. Pepper slapped his hand away grabbing the knife from his hand as she removed the candles that were already in the cake from before and started to cut slices and place them on plates for the group. There was another cake on the dessert table for the guests, so they didn't need to feel too guilty for having the cake amongst themselves.

Once Steve and Darcy each had a piece of the chocolate cake, Steve reached over to grab one of the candles, sticking it in Darcy's slice. "Happy Fourth of July." He winked. He almost regretted his actions as she stared down at the candle, until she grinned. Reaching over to grab another candle, she stuck it in his piece as well.

"A very Happy Fourth of July." She whispered. Setting the cake down and wrapping her arms around his neck, she brought her lips to his in a kiss that quickly put the previous ones to shame.

"Whoa, what the hell is this?" Tony was baffled. "You know what, I don't even want to know. Does this mean you guys aren't going to eat your cake?" He asked not actually caring what the answer was as he reached for Darcy's plate.

She couldn't help but smile against Steve's lips when Tony shouted in pain as not only Pepper and Nat, but Jane as well, all hit him at once.

Steve was glad he didn't take to celebrating his birthday, because after tonight, he didn't think it could ever even get any better than this. But he'd be damned if he didn't try, just as long as Darcy was right there by his side.

* * *

**There it is. My longest one-shot ever (Even though it's only my 4th... haha) I apologize for the kiss scene. I'm atrocious at describing things (You should see me trying to giving people directions to places x.x) I hope you liked it! Leave a review and let me know what you think :)? Thank you for reading!**


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